Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact first look

Sony has unveiled its latest tablet offering at IFA 2014, called the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact! It’s all in the name for this latest tablet offering, with the device bringing the best features of the Xperia Z3 to an 8-inch tablet form factor, which is different from the 10-inch display size that previous high-end Sony tablets have come with. We got to spend some time with this tablet, and here’s our first impressions about the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact!

When it comes to the design, this tablet will remind you of a stretched out Xperia Z3, with the same metallic rounded sides and rounded corners. The glass back is gone in favour of a rubberised build material though, but it doesn’t take away from the premium feel of the device in a way. The Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact is just 6.4 mm thick and weighs just 270 grams, and with its smaller display, handling the tablet, even with one hand, very easy. The iconic large silver power button is there as well, with the flaps covering the microSD card slot, the SIM tray (where available), and the microUSB port also have a more refined look to it, as was the case with its smartphone namesake.

The tablet boasts an 8-inch IPS LCD display with a 1920 x 1200 resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 283 ppi. The Triluminos display offers some vibrant colours, good brightness and great viewing angles, and should perform admirably for a tablet meant to be a media consumption device. That said, there are some other high-end tablets out there in this size range, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4, that offer higher resolutions, so that may be a let down for some.

All the specifications of the Xperia Z3 smartphone make its way here, with the tablet featuring a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, clocked at 2.5 GHz, and backed by the Adreno 330 GPU and 3 GB of RAM, which should multi-tasking a breeze, and allow for a very smooth performance. 16 GB of internal storage is further expandable by 128 GB, so storage shouldn’t be too much a concern. All connectivity options are also available, including a version with 4G LTE support.

The tablet comes with front-facing speakers, which is a great idea that was first introduced with the Xperia Z2 Tablet, and should result in a good audio experience while watching videos, listening to music, or playing games. The 4,500 mAh battery should be more than enough for at least a couple of days of use, especially with the optimizations to extend battery life. Finally, the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact also comes with the higher IP68 rating for protection against dust and water, so you won’t have to worry about battling the elements. You get an 8.1 MP rear facing camera, and 2.2 MP unit up front, which should be more than serviceable for a tablet camera.

The Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact runs Android 4.4.4 Kitkat, with Sony’s custom user interface on top. The software experience hasn’t changed all that much from previous iterations, but you now have the ability to play your PS4 games on this tablet. You’ll need the PS4 DualShock controller, and could use a controller mount to prop up the tablet to enjoy gaming on this device using Remote Play.

So, there you have it – our first impressions about the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact! This tablet packs high-end specifications is a light and compact body, and has a lot to offer in terms of the overall experience. The comparatively lower resolution of the display may be a let down for some, but that may contribute to keeping the price at a more reasonable range, with what is otherwise expected to be quite an expensive device.

What do you think of the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!